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Tegegne Zergaw

@tegegnezergaw

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Experienced law professor and legal researcher specializing in business, corporate, and human rights law.

Ethiopia

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What I'm looking for

I seek senior academic or leadership roles in law schools or research institutions to lead legal education, policy research, curriculum development and capacity building in commercial and human rights law.

I am an accomplished law academic with an LL.B (Distinction) and an LL.M in Business and Corporate Law (Higher Distinction). I serve as an Assistant Professor in Business Law and have held senior academic leadership roles including Dean and Academic Vice Dean.

My teaching and research focus on business law, corporate governance, international business transactions, property and tax law, and human rights. I have published on commercial law topics and designed textbooks and course materials for Ethiopian law education.

I have extensive applied legal experience in arbitration, mediation, legal drafting, compliance monitoring and labour dispute resolution, and I have led training and capacity-building projects supported by ILO, USAID and Harvard-affiliated initiatives. I also contributed to the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index.

I coordinate multi-stakeholder research and policy dialogues, supervise curriculum development, and provide consultancy on law reform and legal training. I am committed to strengthening legal education and advancing access to justice through practical, research-driven solutions.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Dean, School of Law

Bahir Dar University

Oct 2019 - Aug 2024 (4 years 10 months)

Led the School of Law as Dean and coordinated Gish Abay campus operations, managing faculty, academic programs and institutional initiatives from 2019 to 2024.

Academic Leadership Strategic Planning Faculty Management Policy Development Legal Education Stakeholder Engagement Program Evaluation

Lecturer & Academic Vice Dean

Bahir Dar University

Sep 2016 - Sep 2019 (3 years)

Taught law courses, coordinated the university arbitration centre and served as Academic Vice Dean, overseeing curriculum, faculty development and program coordination.

Academic Leadership Curriculum Development Teaching Legal Research Program Management

Legal Compliance Officer

TIRET Corporate

Jun 2016 - Sep 2016 (3 months)

Oversaw corporate legal compliance, drafted compliance reports and advised management on regulatory requirements to mitigate legal risk.

Compliance Corporate Law Legal Drafting Contract Review Risk Assessment

Human Rights Monitoring Expert

Ethiopian Human Rights Commission

May 2011 - Jun 2016 (5 years 1 month)

Led human rights promotion, training and monitoring activities, conducted investigations and produced monitoring reports to improve rights protection across the region.

Human Rights Monitoring & Evaluation Training Delivery Report Writing Data Analysis Investigation Policy Recommendations

Branch Officer, Arbitration

Ethiopian Arbitration and Conciliation Centre

Feb 2011 - May 2011 (3 months)

Managed the Bahir Dar branch's operations, administered case files and supported mediation and arbitration processes to advance dispute resolution services.

Médiation Case Management Dispute Resolution Legal Drafting

Legal Expert

Amhara National Regional State Administrative and Security A

Apr 2009 - Feb 2011 (1 year 10 months)

Provided legal advice to the regional administrative and security bureau, drafted legal opinions and compliance reports supporting regional governance.

Legal Advice Regulatory Compliance Policy Analysis Legal Drafting Administrative Law Report Writing Stakeholder Engagement

Lecturer & Head of Law

Blue Nile College

Dec 2007 - Apr 2009 (1 year 4 months)

Taught core law courses and led the Law Department, developing curriculum and supervising faculty to improve program delivery.

Legal Research Curriculum Development Teaching Legal Drafting Academic Leadership Public Speaking

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Bahir Dar University

Master of Laws, Business and Corporate Law

2013 - 2015

Grade: Higher Distinction

Activities and societies: LL.M thesis: "Regulation of finance leasing in Ethiopia: the need for reform."

Earned an LL.M in Business and Corporate Law with Higher Distinction, emphasizing regulation of finance leasing in Ethiopia.

Jimma University

Bachelor of Laws, Law

2003 - 2007

Grade: Distinction

Activities and societies: LLB thesis: "The effects of Marriage under the Amhara Region Family Code and the 1960 Civil Code of Ethiopia (Comparative Analysis)".

Completed an L.L.B in Law with Distinction at Jimma University, focusing on Ethiopian family and civil law.